Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Horse Racing: Qatar

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with the British Horseracing Authority on the sponsorship of horseracing in the UK by Qatar; and if he will make a statement.

Rebecca Pow: Ministers have not discussed Qatari sponsorship with the British Horseracing Authority. We welcome the contribution British horseracing makes to the national economy and our quality of life. It is also a significant soft power asset to the UK, and enhances the strong bilateral relationships we have with the Gulf States and many other countries around the world.

Horse Racing: Qatar

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he is taking steps to monitor Qatar's role in the (a) governance and (b) sponsorship of British horseracing; and if he will make a statement.

Rebecca Pow: The state of Qatar plays no role in the governance of British horseracing. International sponsorship from Qatar and other plays a valuable role in the economic strength of horseracing in this country. We welcome Qatari sponsorship of the Goodwood Festival and other aspects of our sporting and cultural life.

Department for International Trade

Trade Remedies Authority: Staff

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many staff worked for the Trade Remedies Authority as of July 2019.

Conor Burns: The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) will be a non-departmental independent public body and will be established with the passing of the Trade Bill. Before that happens, and to provide certainty to UK businesses that they will not be exposed to injury from unfair trade practices, the Trade Remedies Investigations Directorate has been temporarily established within DIT to make assessments and recommendations in a respect of a trade remedy measure.There are currently (23rd July 2019) 104 staff working for Trade Remedies Investigations Directorate and these will transfer to the TRA once it has been established.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Coinage and Postage Stamps

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to issue commemorative (a) stamps and (b) coins to mark the UK leaving the EU on 31 October 2019.

Kelly Tolhurst: Matters relating to postage stamps, including special commemorative stamps, are the responsibility of Royal Mail. The commemorative 50p to mark the UK leaving the European Union will be made available following the UK’s departure, as confirmed previously.

Business

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Guidance on how to prepare for Brexit if there's no deal, published by his Department, what parts of the plan for structuring businesses in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal have been implemented.

Kelly Tolhurst: If the United Kingdom were to leave the European Union without a withdrawal agreement in place, UK businesses would be treated as businesses from a “third country” in the EU, and vice versa. The guidance[1] on structuring businesses in the event of “no deal” sets out the implications of this for businesses operating across the EU/UK border.The Statutory Instruments referenced in this guidance have now been made:The Accounts and Reports (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019;The European Economic Interest Grouping (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018;The European Public Limited-Liability Company (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018The Companies, Limited Liabilities Partnerships and Partnerships (Amendment)(EU Exit) Regulations 2019;The Accounts and Reports (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019; andThe International Accounting Standards and European Public Limited-Liability Company (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019. [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/structuring-your-business-if-theres-no-brexit-deal--2/structuring-your-business-if-theres-no-brexit-deal

Consumers: Protection

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to his Department's Guidance on how to prepare for Brexit if there's no deal, which parts of the Government’s plan for consumer rights in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal have been implemented.

Kelly Tolhurst: In October 2018 the Government published the guidance, “Consumer rights if there’s no Brexit deal”. Since then, the Government has legislated for the necessary changes to UK law through five consumer statutory instruments, all of which have been made. They ensure that in the event of the UK leaving the European Union without a deal, UK consumers retain the protections they currently have when buying from UK businesses.

Industry

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU without a deal on 31 October 2019 on (a) the Industrial Strategy and (b) sector deals.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Government continues to work towards a deal with the EU. This is very much in the interest of the EU as well as the UK. The Industrial Strategy has set out a long-term approach to ensure that we’re building an economy fit for the future and will help us make the best of our relations with Europe and beyond. This includes a range of measures aimed at increasing investment from the private and public sector, from cutting business taxes, slashing red tape to investing in new scientific infrastructure on a record scale. The interventions and policies across the Industrial Strategy – including Sector Deals - are robust and aim to deliver improvements to the UK’s productivity and earning power across a variety of potential scenarios, including a no deal scenario.

Department for Work and Pensions

Occupational Pensions

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans his Department has to tackle the use of shape shifting practices by employers to avoid meeting pension obligations to employees; and if he will make a statement .

Guy Opperman: The vast majority of employers are meeting their pension obligations under automatic enrolment, consistent with the legal framework established under the Pensions Act 2008. Where employers fail to comply with the law however, The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has a full range of powers to ensure employees get the pensions they are due.TPR is aware of some employers that appear to have tried to avoid meeting their pension obligations by hiding behind a new name. TPR investigators are working to take action against offenders that try to use this tactic, and are carrying out short-notice inspections on employers that are suspected of breaching their automatic enrolment duties.

Pension Credit: Wales

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many individuals are eligible for pension credit but not claiming the benefit in (a) Wales and (b) each parliamentary constituency in Wales.

Guy Opperman: The information requested on the number of individuals eligible for Pension Credit but do not claim it in (a) Wales and (b) each parliamentary constituency in Wales is only available at Great Britain level. Official statistics on the take-up of income-related benefits at Great Britain level, including Pension Credit, can be found in the ‘Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up in 2016 to 2017’ publication. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/income-related-benefits-estimates-of-take-up-financial-year-2016-to-2017

Television: Licensing

Clive Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of free television licences issued to residents in (a) the Norwich City Council area (b) Norwich South constituency and (c) Norwich North constituency in each of the last three years; and what the total annual value was of those licences.

Guy Opperman: In the 2015 funding settlement, the Government agreed with the BBC that responsibility for the concession will transfer to the BBC in June 2020.The government and the BBC agreed at the time that this was a fair deal for the BBC. The BBC benefited as the government closed the iPlayer loophole and committed to increase the licence fee in line with inflation. And to help with financial planning, the government agreed to provide phased transitional funding over 2 years to gradually introduce the cost to the BBC.This reform was subject to public discussion and debated extensively during the passage of the Digital Economy Act 2017 through Parliament.On 10 June 2019, the BBC announced that the current scheme will end. From 1 June 2020, a free TV licence will only be available to a household with someone aged over 75 who receives Pension Credit.The table below provides estimates of the costs and caseloads for 2015/16 through to 2017/18 of providing free TV licences to people aged 75 years and over in the geographical areas requested. Expenditure in nominal prices. The figures for 2018/19 will be available in September.  Caseload (thousands) 2015-162016-172017-18(a) the Norwich City Council (Norwich local authority area)8.58.78.6(b) Norwich South constituency6.76.96.8(c) Norwich North constituency7.47.77.6  Expenditure (£m) (Nominal) 2015-162016-172017-18(a) the Norwich City Council (Norwich local authority area)£1.21£1.21£1.23(b) Norwich South constituency£0.96£0.95£0.97(c) Norwich North constituency£1.06£1.07£1.10

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agriculture: Subsidies

Dr David Drew: [Suggested redraft] To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of farms at risk of closing down as a result of a new systems of agricultural payments as outlined in the Government's policy paper of 12 September 2018 on health and harmony: the future for food, farming and the environment in a green Brexit, what the size of those farms are; and the type of farming undertaken by those farms.

George Eustice: In September 2018, alongside the Agriculture Bill and policy statement, the Government published an ‘Analysis of the impacts of removing Direct Payments’. This provided an overview of the potential impacts to different farm types and sizes of moving away from direct payments and introducing a new system of public money for public goods. It also showed the potential across all sectors for farmers to become more efficient – producing more for less – as a response to any reductions in direct payments. Direct payments are untargeted, poor value for money, undermine efficiency and productivity improvements, and limit opportunities for new entrants. They have imposed unnecessary bureaucracy on farmers and can inflate rent prices. Some of our most successful and vibrant food-producing sectors of agriculture have never been subsidised. For example the poultry industry, the pig industry and the horticulture industry. In England we will phase out direct payments during an agricultural transition, giving time for farmers to adjust. Phasing out direct payments will free up money so we can reward farmers for delivering public goods, including environmental outcomes. We recognise that some certain sectors are more dependent than others on direct payments but provided that these farmers are delivering public goods, they will be well placed to benefit from the new system.

Livestock: Animal Welfare

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2019 to Question 259124 on Livestock: Animal Welfare, what plans his Department has to introduce benchmark incentives for farmers to maintain and enhance animal health standards.

George Eustice: We are working in partnership with representatives of industry and the veterinary profession to establish a range of interventions to reduce the impacts of endemic disease on farm productivity and animal welfare. By working closely with industry we will ensure that actions are effective and will improve the health of livestock nationally. Our discussions are at an early stage. At present, we have no plans to introduce benchmark standards.

Environment Protection: Standards

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's Guidance on how to prepare for Brexit if there's no deal, which parts of the Government’s plan for maintaining environmental standards in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal have been implemented.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: In reference to the technical notice issued, most of the necessary legislative work has been undertaken in Parliament and the devolved administrations. There is a small number of statutory instruments to be undertaken as further changes in EU law are anticipated. Draft clauses have been prepared for the Environment Bill to include the establishment of the Office of Environmental Protection, which is due to proceed in the next Parliamentary session. IT systems are already in place for the government, regulators and competent authorities to undertake any regulatory duties.